Joy…do you have it?

A few days ago, my daughter and I were driving in the car when for KING & COUNTRY’s “joy.” came on the radio, and she yelled “Mommy, turn it up! This my dance party song!” so I turned the volume up and she started to dance in her car seat. (When I say “dance” I mean more like squirm her body around and bop her head.) She doesn’t know many of the lyrics, but she knows a few, so when it came time for the chorus, she belted out “JOOOOOY!” at the top of her little lungs with a massive smile on her face. All I could think about was the pure joy exuding from her at that very moment.

Given that my daughter is 3 ½, I was curious if she knew what “joy” meant so I asked her, and she said, “It means my heart is happy.” I was speechless! After I found my words, I asked her what makes her happy and she began to rattle off things including Mommy, Daddy, Jesus, dancing, Cinderella and ice cream.

After our conversation, I started to think about what brings me joy and how often do I let myself experience it. So often, I’m stuck in my normal routine and not taking time for myself to “make my heart happy.” My daughter and the song were a great reminder that I need to be more intentional about making time in my day to choose joy.

How would you describe joy?

What makes YOUR heart happy?

Today, take a few minutes and find something that brings you joy. Experience it. Have a dance party at your desk. Choose joy!

“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 14:17